Brie Larson in ‘Early Talks’ to Play Captain Marvel

Variety reports that Marvel has its pick to play Captain Marvel in the MCU standalone movie of the same name, and it is Brie Larson, fresh off an Oscar win for Best Actress in Room. Before that she was outstanding in the little indie Short Term 12, playing a woman who works with at-risk youth. She’ll soon be seen as a member of the ensemble in the big-budget Kong reboot Kong: Skull Island. And perhaps after that she’ll become the first female Marvel hero to get her own solo film.

The trade’s sources says it’s “unknown where things stand in negotiations,” but that Larson is “the first choice, and that she’s leaning toward playing the part.” At this point the movie, which is still almost three years away, has no director; Meg LeFauve (Inside Out) and Nicole Perlman are working on the screenplay. Casting Larson (or anyone else) early would be to ensure that the actress playing the part is fully on board, and could participate in other Marvel Cinematic Universe movies before her big solo film debut, the way Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther was introduced earlier this spring in Captain America: Civil War. The next Avengers movie is currently due out in theaters before Captain Marvel, so an appearance by Carol Danvers, a member of many Avengers teams, would not be surprising.

If Larson takes the role, she’ll be inheriting one of Marvel’s longest-running and most complex superheroes. She first fought crime under the identity of Ms. Marvel. Later, she hung out with the X-Men and called herself Binary and had the power of an entire star at her disposal. Later, she went by the code name Warbird, and then finally Captain Marvel. She was the seventh Marvel hero to use the name, but she’s already one of the most popular.

Marvel had no comment to Variety on their story, which was also confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter. While we wait for further details, if you haven’t done it already go watch Larson in Short Term 12. It’s currently streaming on Netflix. Even if Larson doesn’t get the part, you’ll have watched one of the best performances in one of the best movies of the last decade.